Happy Quite

During the holidays I often feel like a hamster in a cage, running furiously on an exercise wheel. I might go faster and faster, but regardless of my speed, I don’t get very far.

We recently had events at Crowder and events at First Christian. Sandwiched in between the two, Big Al and I reluctantly thought we would squeeze in a little Christmas shopping. You may know; I’m a horrible shopper. I hate the pressure of picking out a gift for other people and I’ve learned from experience and the reactions of friends and family that I’m a little “off” in the gift giving department.

We made it through one store, when I had hit my limit. The crowds and lines were more than I could take, so we ended up going out to dinner and had a delightful time 'discussing' shopping.

I enjoy the side conversations at church. Those little bits of hurried conversation shared between pews. A laugh, a sign, a nod or a quick hug often conveys more than a long conversation.

This Sunday leaving the morning service, our friend Ben Moore remarked about the busy afternoon and evening in store for many of us and asked if I remembered the poem about the centipede. I did not. So he quickly wrote it down from memory for me:

A centipede was happy quite,
Until a frog in fun,
Asked ‘pray tell which leg comes after which?’
This raised her mind to such a pitch,
She lay distracted in a ditch,
Considering how to run.

It’s easy to be “happy quite” during the holidays until some jumpy old frog gets our brains working at a fever pitch. My brain-jam always comes back around to the last minute presents. So we’ve had to make a family agreement: Big Al will shop. I will cook. This always sounds more than fair to me.

On the topic of shopping, we heard the CEO of Toys R Us on a financial news channel last week. He was talking about the stores plans to stay open the week before Christmas around-the-clock.  There were to be nine days of 24-hour shopping at Toys R Us.

What really caught our attention though was his description of a new video game. In describing its functionality and touting all the bells and whistles, he referred to it as “platform agnostic” meaning it recognized the various game platforms (Nintendo, Wii, PlayStation), it simply didn’t care. The game would work on any of them.

I wish I could share what the game was, but unfortunately I was too intrigued by the description to remember the product.

Hope everyone is “happy quite” this New Year.

Slapped Silly By My Driving

I must first note, that I am writing this blog under duress. It has been brought to my attention that if I don’t “out” myself with the following anecdotes, my family will. Long held under my half-joking threats of the “blog worthiness” of the various events of our home, the tables have now turned.

Recently I began freelancing in public relations. I am driving a great deal. Big Al decided the time was right to upgrade our main vehicle and found a wonderful, slightly used Nissan Altima.

Driving to a client meeting last week, I thought I would listen to my iPod using the handy-dandy auxiliary plug in the car’s sound system. All was well and good for the first couple of miles of the trip. The tunes were cranked, I was singing, it was all good-to-go. Then I had to make my first tight turn and something slapped me hard across the face! Seriously. I was literally struck squarely across the side of my face.

Now, it was dark and I couldn’t see well with only the console lights, so concerned I slowed down and started to pull to the side of the road. That’s when I was hit again, but on the other side of the face.

Stopped now, I looked all around and finally determined that I had plugged the iPod cord through my steering wheel and then into the plug. Each time I turned the car wheel I propelled the perfectly palm-sized device into a direct orbit with my face.

OK, one confession down, here’s the second.

This new car needed a little body work. The dealership agreed to fix it as part of our purchase agreement and I borrowed my mother’s car for a few days.

Leaving another meeting, I hurried out to what I thought was my mother’s car. Throwing my purse and notebook in I discovered I had accidentally picked up some papers from the desk where we had been sitting. In an effort to “appear” casual and totally together I decided to lock my purse and large notebook planner in the car and run in to return the paperwork.

Coming back out to the car I attempted my mother’s automatic door opener. Nothing happened. I tried again… and this time could faintly hear the sound of the car lock beeping - except it wasn’t coming from the car in front of me.

Peering inside I could see a purse and a planner that resembled mine. Clicking the door opener again I see my mother’s car – across the parking light – flashing its lights to indicate the doors are now open.

Figured it out?

I had gone to the parking lot. Locked my planner and purse inside someone’s previously unlocked car and was now faced with the fun of taking my oh-so-not-casual-and-all-together-self back into the business to page some poor unsuspecting employee or customer to come fetch my things from their car.

I love this car and am confident the fun and columns are just beginning.